Life in the village has never been easy for Scott, but it's only when his loved ones watch an emotional monologue on his video diary while he's recovering in hospital that they realise just how much he's been secretly struggling.

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The Channel 4 soap has worked closely with Mind and the Samaritans while creating the storyline, which will form part of a wider Hollyoaks mental health campaign promoted through the online hashtag #DontFilterFeelings.

Here, Ross Adams – who plays Scott – reveals the challenges of taking on his toughest scenes yet in the role.

Why has Scott reached such a low point?

"When Scott came to the village, he was this really outgoing, happy-go-lucky type of a guy, but we never ever saw the true Scott. He spent his time always trying to get the laughs, being the funny one and throwing his true feelings under the carpet.

"During his time, there has been a catalogue of things that have hurt Scott. It started with John Paul's rejection, and then he found out that he was adopted and when he turned to his real mum, she also rejected him.

"As well as all of this, we are seeing recently how people around Scott are very dismissive of him which outwardly people would think wouldn't affect Scott, but it actually does. So all of that results in his attempted suicide."

What was it like to film such tragic scenes?

"It was so hard. I remember getting the scripts before we shot it and just seeing pages and pages of dialogue and thinking: 'How am I going to learn all of this?!' But I thought about it all like a theatre piece and thought if I learn two pages a night, then I'll be okay.

"It was a good thing, because on the day we shot the monologue piece, I knew all the words so I could focus completely on my performance. What was also so difficult in these scenes, compared to anything I have done before, was that as well as showing emotion I also had to operate the camera at the same time [for Scott's video diary], which is something I have never had to think of before.

"When it came down to the performance I was also on set completely on my own without any crew so I actually felt really vulnerable, but that helped me so much with the performance."

Have you had any support from charities to help you with the storyline?

"Yes. Before I even got any scripts, a session was held with writers, storyliners, researchers and the charities Mind and Samaritans. It was so useful, because I got to hear first-hand accounts of people who have been through this and how they have dealt with the situation. I've been very lucky that I haven't ever suffered from any mental illness, so I wanted to find out as much information as I could.

"As well as those charities, I also spoke with the LGBT Foundation in Manchester, because through my own research I discovered that mental illness affects so many in the gay community and even though Scott's storyline isn't exclusive to that, I still thought it was important to know more about it. The crisis team there are amazing and they've helped so many people."

Why do you think it's important for Hollyoaks to portray this?

"Mental health at the minute feels like a current issue. We had Mental Health Awareness Week last month and I think it's something we talk about more now and soaps are always breaking taboos. So I think men with mental illnesses and men in the LGBT community is definitely something that hasn't really been touched on before in soap. It's great that we've been able to do this storyline to make it open for wider discussion.

"When I spoke with the LGBT Foundation the statistics show that many in the LGBT community don't seek help, so I am really proud that Hollyoaks is showing how Scott eventually does seek help and finds a way out of it."

What have you learned from doing the storyline?

"I've learnt more about the problems that people face and the biggest thing I have learnt is just how widespread the issue is. It's not just affecting a single person, it affects everyone around them. Mental illness is something a lot of the time you can't see. So many people look fine on the outside but deep down they're feeling dreadful, so I've learnt the importance of seeking help.

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"I think this is also what's great about our digital campaign #DontFilterFeelings, because it's so important to show audiences that it's healthy to talk about how you feel."

After so long playing funny scenes, did you have to change the way you got into the role for this storyline?

"Yes, for me it was a good change but also so challenging. It is one thing when you're playing scenes and hoping for a laugh, but it's another doing scenes that have an emotional depth to them. It was a massive responsibility because I wanted to do it justice and didn't want people to watch it and feel like it wasn't truthful.

"So I spent so much time researching, I read a book called Straight Jacket by Matthew Todd which really helped. For the big heavy stuff I took myself away from everything to really get into it and it also helped changing my look and letting the mask slip."

What can we expect for Scott after this?

"He's going to have a long and rocky road to recovery. It's not going to be something that happens overnight and I think it's so good that Hollyoaks are portraying it this way. I think Scott will come out of hospital and put his mask back on so everyone doesn't worry, but we will still see how he's dealing with his changes in life.

"Instead of just being his usual comedy self we will see glimpses of his vulnerable side a bit more. But I think it's great that we will see him seeking help and how he does eventually get better."

Hollyoaks airs weeknights at 6.30pm on Channel 4, with first look screenings at 7pm on E4.